Topic 4 - 1930s Roosevelt's New Deal (Knowledge)

Question 1

What were the aims of Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal?

Answer 1

1. Get Americans back to work.
2. Protect savings and property
3. Provide relief for sick, old and unemployed.
4. Get U.S. industry and agriculture back on its feet.

Question 2

What were Roosevelt’s advisers known as?

Answer 2

The ‘Brains Trust’

Question 3

During Roosevelt’s first hundred days in office, how many proposals did he send to Congress (all approved)?

Answer 3

15

Question 4

What was the first issue Roosevelt tackled?

Answer 4

The banking crisis – loss of confidence in banks

Question 5

When did Roosevelt order all of the banks to close?

Answer 5

The day after his inauguration (5 March 1933)

Question 6

What was the name of the policy to tackle the banking crisis?

Answer 6

Emergency Banking Act

Question 7

What happened while the banks were closed for four days?

Answer 7

The banks were checked by government officials.

Question 8

What happened to the banks on 9 March 1933?

Answer 8

5,000 trustworthy banks were opened, supported by government money if necessary

Question 9

What was the name of the agency set up to help the urgent needs of the poor?

Answer 9

The Federal Emergency Relief Administration

Question 10

How much did FERA spend on helping the poor?

Answer 10

$500 million

Question 11

What did FERA provide for the poor?

Answer 11

Soup kitchens, blankets, employment schemes and nursery schools

Question 12

What did the CCC stand for?

Answer 12

Civilian Conservation Corps

Question 13

What did the CCC do?

Answer 13

Provided work for unemployed young men on environmental projects

Question 14

What kind of work did the CCC do?

Answer 14

Strengthening river banks, fighting forest fires, controlling mosquitoes to prevent malaria etc

Question 15

How long could men sign on to the CCC for?

Answer 15

6 months, but could renew if still had no job

Question 16

How many people did the CCC provide jobs for?

Answer 16

2.5 million

Question 17

What was a major criticism of the CCC?

Answer 17

It paid very low wages

Question 18

What agency was set up to help farmers?

Answer 18

The Agricultural Adjustment Administration

Question 19

How did the AAA help farmers?

Answer 19

1. Set quotas to reduce farm production and force prices upwards
2. Government destroyed surplus produce and gave farmers compensation for lost production
3. Helped farmers modernise and use methods that would protect the soil
4. Helped some farmers pay their mortgages

Question 20

What problem did the AAA create?

Answer 20

Farm modernisation put more farm workers out of work

Question 21

Which two organisations were set up by the National Industrial Recovery Act?

Answer 21

Public Works Administration

National Recovery Administration

Question 22

What did the PWA do?

Answer 22

Used government money to build schools, roads, dams, bridges and airports

Question 23

What did the NRA do?

Answer 23

Improved working conditions in industry e.g. outlawing child labour, set fair wages.
Voluntary – firms could choose to join

Question 24

How did businesses show they had signed up to the NRA?

Answer 24

They could use the blue eagle as a symbol of presidential approval

Question 25

How many employers joined the NRA?

Answer 25

Over 2 million

Question 26

How did the Home Owners Loan Corporation help Americans?

Answer 26

Took over the mortgages of middle-income Americans who were struggling to pay mortgages, so banks didn’t repossess their homes

Question 27

How many Americans were helped by the Home Owners Loan Corporation?

Answer 27

HOLC took over 1 million mortgages at better interest rates than banks 1933-36: 20% of homeowners ‘rescued’ by HOLC – 80% successfully repaid HOLC mortgages

Question 28

Why was the Tennessee Valley Authority created?

Answer 28

Tennessee Valley flooded during wet season, and farming land turned into a dust bowl during dry season. TVA set up to combat these problems.

Question 29

What was the main work of the TVA?

Answer 29

Built dams on the Tennessee River: a. made it possible to irrigate (water) dried-out land b. provided electricity c. provided jobs

Question 30

What were Roosevelt’s ‘fireside chats’?

Answer 30

Radio broadcasts where Roosevelt would explain to the nation what he was doing and why

Question 31

When and how often were Roosevelt’s ‘fireside chats’?

Answer 31

Every Sunday

Question 32

How many Americans tuned into Roosevelt’s ‘fireside chats’?

Answer 32

60 million

Question 33

Why did some Democrats criticise the New Deal?

Answer 33

They claimed it wasn’t doing enough

Question 34

Who was the main politician who argued the New Deal wasn’t doing enough?

Answer 34

Huey Long

Question 35

What ideas did Huey Long put forward?

Answer 35

‘Share our Wealth’ scheme: 1. Limit personal wealth to $3 million. 2. Share taxes equally.

Question 36

Why did the Republicans, and most businesses, criticise the New Deal?

Answer 36

1. They argued it was doing / interfering too much in business. 2. Cost too much – resented paying higher taxes 3. Said Roosevelt was taking America on the path to socialism

Question 37

What aspects of the economy did the New Deal interfere with?

Answer 37

1. Created jobs 2. Fixed prices 3. Controlled levels of production 4. Dictated working conditions

Question 38

What is the role of the Supreme Court?

Answer 38

Judge whether laws follow the American Constitution

Question 39

Who was the Supreme Court dominated by?

Answer 39

Republican judges

Question 40

Which New Deal laws were judged to be unconstitutional?

Answer 40

National Recovery Administration | Agricultural Adjustment Act

Question 41

Why were the NRA and AAA declared unconstitutional?

Answer 41

They extended the role of the federal (central) government too far, taking away the power of individual states

Question 42

How did Roosevelt respond to opposition from the Supreme Court?

Answer 42

‘Court-packing’ - he threatened to appoint 6 extra judges who agreed with his policies, in order to outvote the Republican judges

Question 43

Why was Roosevelt forced to back down and withdraw his plan to ‘pack’ the Supreme Court?

Answer 43

Made him look like a dictator – he was trying to interfere in the work of the judges

Question 44

How did the Supreme Court react to Roosevelt’s threat to a ‘pack’ the court?

Answer 44

They accepted later measures of the New Deal